PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[priscacara]

Hi could you advise me on this fish list for an Aquaone Aqua Reef 400L tank please.
Salarias fasciatus (in tank)
Ptereleotris zebra (in tank)
Nemateleoris decora - 4 or 6
Neocirrhites armatus - flame hawkfish
Foxface rabbitfish
Cirrhilabrus scottorum - scott's fairy wrasse
or
Paracheilinus mccoskeri - McCoskers flasher wrasse
Assessor macneilli or Assessor flavissimus
Ctenochaetus strigosus

Neopomacentrus cyanomos (yellowtail chromis?), I have 2 of these in my QT that I was given with all good intentions but after reading up a little about them I'm not sure they would be a good addition along with what is on the list.

Cheers!

 

[snorvich]

Okay I have a 29 gallon setup for about a year now with lots of rock and sand. In another year I would like to upgrade to a 50 or 75 gallon. Right now I have 4 fish all about an inch long:

sixline wrasse
ocellaris clown
blue/green chromis

and a newly added royal gramma

I feed the fish heavy and they all get along. I hope the sixline doesn't get territorial.

I gave up on getting a captive bred kaudern's cardinal from Liveaquaria. Two of them in a row were DOA. I think I'll stay away from those.


I would like to add soon:

fireball angel (C. aurantonotus) but I don't know what to do if he starts nipping corals. I have very few corals now since I just started stocking corals and don't know what I'd get rid of, fish or coral. Is there any rule of thumb which corals these angels will nip?

dwarf angels are very likely to nip corals although C. aurantonotus is one of the least likely to do so. The sixline may not allow for additions

 

[snorvich]

Hi could you advise me on this fish list for an Aquaone Aqua Reef 400L tank please.
Salarias fasciatus (in tank)
Ptereleotris zebra (in tank)
Nemateleoris decora - 4 or 6 long term best case is that you end up with a pair
Neocirrhites armatus - flame hawkfish precludes shrimp
Foxface rabbitfish
Cirrhilabrus scottorum - scott's fairy wrasse avoid, they are very aggressive
or
Paracheilinus mccoskeri - McCoskers flasher wrasse
Assessor macneilli or Assessor flavissimus I think you would be much happier with any flasher wrasse
Ctenochaetus strigosus two grazers in this sized tank may be a bit much

Neopomacentrus cyanomos (yellowtail chromis?), I have 2 of these in my QT that I was given with all good intentions but after reading up a little about them I'm not sure they would be a good addition along with what is on the list. I would not add them

Cheers!

 

[barriosman]

55 gallon capacity question

55 gallon capacity question

Here is what I currently have:
55 gallon with 70# LR, 50# Live Sand, 20# regular sand
2 HOB Refugiums with algae and chemical filtration (chempure and purigen)
HOB Skimmer
Plenty of current

Fish:
2 Percula Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 yellow tail damsel (has not been aggressive...yet)
1 blue/green chromus
2 serpent stars
various CUC

Would it be ok to add additional blue/green chromis or is my tank at capacity? My water readings are all 0 except my nitrates are between 0-5ppm.

 

[Mxx]

I'm certainly glad I asked!

I'm not sure of the metrics which Aqadvisor uses, but with that fish load how close to my maximum stocking capacity do you think I actually am? (Not that I want to necessarily be at absolutely full stocking capacity either, of course).

There are a decent number of captive-bred Banggai Cardinals here just recently, fortunately, and otherwise I'd have skipped them. I'd actually heard it suggested that it's best to get four of them young, and as soon as two of them pair off then make sure to get the other two out quickly. At least four juvenile Bang's shouldn't have a larger bioload than 2 mature adults.

Okay, so out with one of the Royal Gramma's and the Banana Wrasse, and in with a Pygmy Cherub Angelfish, if I can find one.

The moment I got my tank the wife and kids were all insisting that I get a Yellow Tang, Blue Tang, and anemone... So that took a bit of explaining on why we couldn't possibly do that. The wife really wanted a yellow fish though, so I'm in trouble when I tell her now that she can't have a Banana Wrasse either. I'd considered a Lemonpeel Dwarf Angel, but my tank is on the small side for that, and I heard that they have a bad reputation for not being coral safe.

I'm sure I can lie to the kids and convince them that a Hammer Coral is actually an anemone, despite that they might hold that against me later in life! I would like to get a Bubble Tip Anemone, but of course should hold off for a year before doing that, which is a little unfortunate as I hear it is good to get them in early so they can find a place where they are happy instead of trampling around the tank zapping all the corals in its path subsequently.

I thought I should bump one part of my response there, which would would be brilliant if I could still get some clarification on.

You seemed to suggest Steve that Aqadvisor was far off when they suggested that my fish list above would put me over my maximum stocking capacity by 18%? Can you explain?

And can you please advise on perhaps what % of maximum stocking capacity you might yourself estimate I would be at for a mature tank with the fish list below in a 34 gallon Boyu all-in-one? Aqadvisor suggests 109%, but I'm not sure now whether it should be trusted whatsoever or not).

2 x Percula Clownfish
1 x Royal Gramma
2 Bangaii Cardinals
2 Purple Firefish Goby
1 African Pygmy Angelfish (Cherub)

 

[snorvich]

Here is what I currently have:
55 gallon with 70# LR, 50# Live Sand, 20# regular sand
2 HOB Refugiums with algae and chemical filtration (chempure and purigen)
HOB Skimmer
Plenty of current

Fish:
2 Percula Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 yellow tail damsel (has not been aggressive...yet)
1 blue/green chromus
2 serpent stars
various CUC

Would it be ok to add additional blue/green chromis or is my tank at capacity? My water readings are all 0 except my nitrates are between 0-5ppm.

While you have not reached your biocapacity, a second chromis may or may not survive long term.

 

[snorvich]

You seemed to suggest Steve that Aqadvisor was far off when they suggested that my fish list above would put me over my maximum stocking capacity by 18%? Can you explain?

There is no real algorithm for stocking capacity and an answer suggesting a level of precision at 118% is spurious at best to me.

 

[SnowflakeE]

We at Reef Central do not believe in acquiring fish that must be later re-homed.

Could I keep a tusk in my 110G long term

 

[snorvich]

Could I keep a tusk in my 110G long term

I would need a complete stocking list to determine that.

 

[SnowflakeE]

It would be my first fish and I would stock according to his/her needs

 

[snorvich]

It would be my first fish and I would stock according to his/her needs

In that case, sure. Tusks have orange stripes with white margins and a hint of blue adjacent to the tail of the fish but the Australian Tusks have orange stripes with vivid blue margins starting from the pectoral fin, along the fishes back to their tail and if you can find it, this morph is gorgeous. Both of these beautiful color forms have bright blue teeth or tusks used to crunch invertebrates. They are a wonderful fish for a FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) aquarium. When small size, they are a bit reclusive and shy but will in time gain personality and confidence as they mature.

I would suggest active fish such as Dwarf Angels, flasher or fairy wrasses. Keep only one specimen per tank. Although they will not bother corals, they will eat any small crustacean such as snails or crabs.

The Harlequin Tusk Wrasse diet should include vitamin enriched frozen mysis shrimp, on occasion but not wholly vitamin enriched frozen brine shrimp, and other meaty foods along with a high quality marine flake and marine pellet food.

 

[techreef]

The wife really wanted a yellow fish though, so I'm in trouble when I tell her now that she can't have a Banana Wrasse either.

May I suggest a Midas Blenny as your sought after yellow fish? They have a very unique way of swimming too, so they'll draw attention to themselves when they're cruising your tank.

 

[longranger]

Stocking a 110 reef tank

Stocking a 110 reef tank

I have a 110 reef tank and probably an unrealisticly long fish wish list.

To start my current fish are 1 Melanurus wrasse, 1 Maroon clown and 1 blue spotted watchman gobie 1 horseshoe crab and 2 cleaner shrimp.

Wish list includes:
Mystery wrasse
One or two types of fairy or flasher wrasse
Midas blenny
Lawnmower blenny
One or two tangs, one from the bristletooth family.
Falco or long nose hawkfish.
Small group of active school fish, probably chromis.
1 blue Mandarin.

Thats about it. Don't want to overload the system or have major aggresion issues. Forgot to add have a 40 gallon sump with a small refugium. Lots of pods in the DT.

Will have everything in QT or HT for 9 weeks before goin into the hopefully disease free DT.

Biggest area of concern is not getting too many wrasses. I love them enough not to want to stress them.

 

[snorvich]

I have a 110 reef tank and probably an unrealisticly long fish wish list.

To start my current fish are 1 Melanurus wrasse, 1 Maroon clown and 1 blue spotted watchman gobie 1 horseshoe crab and 2 cleaner shrimp.

Maroon clowns, even a single, will become highly aggressive. Horseshoe crabs are not reef safe

Wish list includes:
Mystery wrasse Not really compatible with fairy and flasher wrasses
One or two types of fairy or flasher wrasse
Midas blenny one blenny only, they do not like each other
Lawnmower blenny
One or two tangs, one from the bristletooth family. That family is excellent, but two would be pushing it in your sized tank
Falco or long nose hawkfish. precludes shrimp
Small group of active school fish, probably chromis. well fish will not really "school" in your sized tank and chromis will kill each other off until there is only one or two
1 blue Mandarin. wait until tank is 9 months old or more

Thats about it. Don't want to overload the system or have major aggresion issues. Forgot to add have a 40 gallon sump with a small refugium. Lots of pods in the DT.

Will have everything in QT or HT for 9 weeks before goin into the hopefully disease free DT.

Biggest area of concern is not getting too many wrasses. I love them enough not to want to stress them.

 

[longranger]

Thanks Steve. Sure I will have many more questions. First is what algae muncher can I get that would replace the lawnmower and get along with everyone? I really have the heart set on that Midas.

 

[snorvich]

Thanks Steve. Sure I will have many more questions. First is what algae muncher can I get that would replace the lawnmower and get along with everyone? I really have the heart set on that Midas.

You had two blennies, pick whichever one you prefer. As those who follow this thread know, I do not provide recommendations, only compatibility analysis.

 

[priscacara]

Thanks for the advice Steve, much appreciated!

 

[neitherman]

Even though it's going to be quite a few months (or longer) before I get a working setup (so far I'm only in possession of a display tank) I figured I may as well get an opinion from some very experienced people sooner rather than later. The dream is as follows:

180 gallon acrylic with an AquaC EV-240 skimmer and a 55 gallon sump/refugium area filled with the following critters:

100-200 lbs of live rock
10-20 frags of SPS coral
~5 soft corals
1 bulb anenome
2 ocellaris clownfish
1 hippo tang (want to build the tank around this guy's needs)
2 yellow tang
1 flame angelfish (note: I'm finding mixed info about the flame angel, some sites say they are reef safe, others use the "with caution" qualifier)
1 maxima clam

Cleanup crew TBD

Thanks for the info guys, it will be really helpful in the coming months as this project comes together for me!

 

[snorvich]

Even though it's going to be quite a few months (or longer) before I get a working setup (so far I'm only in possession of a display tank) I figured I may as well get an opinion from some very experienced people sooner rather than later. The dream is as follows:

180 gallon acrylic with an AquaC EV-240 skimmer and a 55 gallon sump/refugium area filled with the following critters:

100-200 lbs of live rock
10-20 frags of SPS coral
~5 soft corals
1 bulb anenome This anemone will host A. occellaris in captivity even though it does not in the wild; however, the clownfish may or may not associate with it
2 ocellaris clownfish
1 hippo tang (want to build the tank around this guy's needs)

If that is truly the case, you will need a larger (longer tank). Long term, with normal feeding patterns, hepatus tangs get large and coupled with that they are very active.

2 yellow tang only one
1 flame angelfish (note: I'm finding mixed info about the flame angel, some sites say they are reef safe, others use the "with caution" qualifier) no dwarf angel is truly coral safe even though with a roll of the dice an individual specimen may be.
1 maxima clam

Cleanup crew TBD

Thanks for the info guys, it will be really helpful in the coming months as this project comes together for me!

 

[neitherman]

I kept seeing such varied information about minimum tank size for a hippo that I had no idea what size tank would be acceptable. I can't afford to go any larger at the moment so I may have to forgo the hippo and go with a smaller fish. Super sad face but I don't want to cramp the style of such a beauty!

Thanks for the advice, it's good to know this kind of stuff in advance!